70
Criteria
Comments
Rating
- Features HDMI out, USB, MicroSD expansion, very solid casing (feels like a premium device), the kickstand is a great idea and works well.
- Display Very bright and responsive. The contrast is nice, blacks are sharp. The resolution is a bit below the retina display, zooming in on text show the difference.
- Battery life This is an always on device. From normal usage, I was able to get about 11 hours. From heavy usage, I was able to get 8 hours.
- Ease of use Hardware usage is great, touch screen to touch keyboard are easy. The OS has a learning curve, but after a day, it seems so natural to do it that way.
- Storage capacity I got the 32GB model, but I was able to add 64GB MicroSD for cheap!
- Design and form factor Tablet form is pretty seamless once you learn the gestures. Laptop form is what makes this puppy shine. Touch keyboard is accurate and easy to use.
- Portability (size / weight) About the same weight as iPad 3, dimensions are different; longer and slimmer to accomadate keyboard.
- Durability Touch keyboard is spill-proof, spilled some juice and wiped it clean, no issues. Casing of tablet seems solid, not much scratching.
Detailed review
I've been using the Surface RT device for about 5 days straight. The first day it took my about 20 minutes to get use to the new start screen, but after that I can't imagine going back to a start button. The start screen shows me information that allows me to do work quickly.
It comes with Word, Excel, and Powerpoint so I was able to do work on this tablet. The Office programs open on the desktop, so it looks similar to the experience I used to have with Office on my Windows 7 Ultrabook. Speaking of the desktop, I do appreciate that we have access to File Explorer so I can see all my files on the device. You can use IE10 from the desktop also, but this seems confusing that they would have 2 ways to launch IE10, maybe they wanted to allow users to work on Office and not have to switch to IE10 from the start screen (feels more like what people are used to). I enjoy the IE10 from the start screen because it is more immersive, but this version is different as it uses gestures to get to new tabs and other options (swipe in to center from top or bottom of screen, took my a couple of minutes to figure that out).
The touch cover keyboard is very slick, it has felt-like material and is amazingly thin. The magnetic connectors was easy to use and it stayed put really well. Typing was strange at first because I was used to feedback, but after a couple of minutes in my email, I was typing almost as fast as normal keyboard. Kudos on this feature!
Another productivity feature that I love is the quick switching and multitasking of the OS. Swiping from the left inwards brings in apps that are open in the background, so I can switch from email to reading an article online very quickly. Better yet, I discovered a cool snap feature that allowed me to read my article and reply to email on the same screen.
The cameras are not great, but acceptable from doing Skype video calls and recording videos for internet posts.
I wish they made the power charging connection standardized and not proprietary. It uses the same magnet technology as the keyboard connection.
Overall, this is a wonderful productivity device as well as an entertainment device. The price is same than the iPad with same memory. I haven't touched my iPad since I've gotten this as this is my go-to device when I need something done. I would recommend you look at it and play around with Windows RT. It might just increase your productivity.
It comes with Word, Excel, and Powerpoint so I was able to do work on this tablet. The Office programs open on the desktop, so it looks similar to the experience I used to have with Office on my Windows 7 Ultrabook. Speaking of the desktop, I do appreciate that we have access to File Explorer so I can see all my files on the device. You can use IE10 from the desktop also, but this seems confusing that they would have 2 ways to launch IE10, maybe they wanted to allow users to work on Office and not have to switch to IE10 from the start screen (feels more like what people are used to). I enjoy the IE10 from the start screen because it is more immersive, but this version is different as it uses gestures to get to new tabs and other options (swipe in to center from top or bottom of screen, took my a couple of minutes to figure that out).
The touch cover keyboard is very slick, it has felt-like material and is amazingly thin. The magnetic connectors was easy to use and it stayed put really well. Typing was strange at first because I was used to feedback, but after a couple of minutes in my email, I was typing almost as fast as normal keyboard. Kudos on this feature!
Another productivity feature that I love is the quick switching and multitasking of the OS. Swiping from the left inwards brings in apps that are open in the background, so I can switch from email to reading an article online very quickly. Better yet, I discovered a cool snap feature that allowed me to read my article and reply to email on the same screen.
The cameras are not great, but acceptable from doing Skype video calls and recording videos for internet posts.
I wish they made the power charging connection standardized and not proprietary. It uses the same magnet technology as the keyboard connection.
Overall, this is a wonderful productivity device as well as an entertainment device. The price is same than the iPad with same memory. I haven't touched my iPad since I've gotten this as this is my go-to device when I need something done. I would recommend you look at it and play around with Windows RT. It might just increase your productivity.
good review!
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